We interviewed Laura Letrari – former Olympic swimmer, coach and Under Armour ambassador – about how running is important even when training for other sports.
And – spoiler alert! – running is also important when swimming.
- Hi Laura! It is hard for many to believe, but swimmers also run, and endurance, in the water, is also important for sprinters. How did you welcome running practice at the beginning of the season?
Hello everyone! Well yes, running has no small importance for us swimmers as well. Our competitive season usually starts with the arrival of September and ends the first days of August, and when we are off for more than 2 weeks, resuming is a trauma.
At the beginning of each season, I divide my daily training sessions with water, gym and running. I must confess that I used to welcome running in my workouts: it was a quite different physical exertion than usual so I really enjoyed it. It gave me a sense of freedom because I could run wherever I wanted and whenever I wanted.
- You just said goodbye to competition and now you have a great coaching career ahead of you. We are definitely “biased,” but do you include running as part of the preparation for swimmers as well? How does running complement swimming?
Yes, as I said, supplementing preparation with running is crucial in the early part of the season. Since we are used to always being horizontal and using our muscles differently, running helps to give us new stimuli. We lose condition very easily when we unplug, so again running helps us a lot to get back in shape.
- In more detail, what kinds of running workouts do swimmers do to prepare? Do they focus more on speed or endurance?
In detail, at the beginning of the season, I personally work more on endurance and breathing while running. In swimming, stroke and breathing coordination is much easier. When we run longer, we cause more stress, so it is a good basis then to work in the water.
After a few weeks of swimming + gymnasium + floor workouts and running I also occasionally incorporate strength repetitions. When I see that my body is back in shape and I have strengthened the muscles decisively, I like to add sprint work or short repetitions with changes of pace.
- Mentally, does running help you?
I would say so. As it is a greater stress for us on the level of fatigue, mentally we learn to manage our limits better. You learn to breathe properly and feel free with the wind blowing in your face.
Swimming is a wonderful sport but it definitely has the disadvantage of being immersed in a pool limited by the wall and with the black line on the bottom. Running, on the other hand, makes you feel free and thus relaxes and allows you to relieve a lot of stress.
- Since we often complain that 4 workouts a week is too much, tell us what a typical day is like for a competitive swimmer without being a professional?
Choosing to be a swimmer is a great challenge. A fulfilling sport but has the misfortune of being a sport where you have to be in the water every day, several times a day.
A “normal” swimmer swims Monday through Saturday always 2 to 3 hours a day in the afternoon and, if the pool permits, even 2 or 3 training sessions in the early morning. So a total of about 20 hours (or a little less) per week spent in the water; not to count the time spent in the gym or for free-body sessions.
That said, it is best not to list the hours that a professional swimmer trains. ;-)
- And let’s remember that swimming is one of the sports in which we train the most from the youngest categories…
That’s right, already the youth categories learn to train several hours a week and see early on that the more they are in the water, the better they get.
- How does an athlete manage to stay focused and make so many sacrifices from an early age?
I think staying focused and deciding that you want to make sacrifices is very much related to each individual person. Every athlete has or does not have a head. You can tell right away who is determined and willing to work. Those who have enthusiasm, a goal in mind, heart and passion for a sport have much more willpower: it comes much easier to hold on and fight.
I personally have been very lucky. I have always loved this world madly, and struggling has never scared me. I had clear ideas from the beginning and always followed my heart and dreams.
- I know you run in Under Armour shoes. How do you find yourself? What types of training do you use them for?
During my runs I want to feel light but stable at the same time. Under Armour fulfills these requests of mine. I love how they feel at my feet. We swimmers tend to have buttery ankles and feet (being in the water all the time) and consequently feeling stable and “protected” feet is crucial.
- I remember a beautiful Under Armour commercial with Michael Phelps that was very inspirational; how do you identify with the brand values? What aspects do you feel are most your own?
Under Armour has always worked closely with athletes, and this is not something to be taken for granted. It is an ever-evolving brand. It offers the best conditions to be able to allow the athlete to perform at 120%. Kind of like us athletes, you have to put yourself out there every single day and bring out 120 percent from us, be ready to change and put yourself out there by taking care of every little detail.
I feel honored after so many years to continue to collaborate with such a good brand and grow together with them.